Weapon throwing game



Aug. 2, 1955 l J. c. RAMSEY 2,714,509

WEAPON THROWING GAME Filed Jan. 2, l952 2 Sheets-Sheet l A9 fi" l4 1 N VEN TOR James afeamsey BYWM ATTORNEYS Aug. 2, 1955 J. c. RAMSEY WEAPON THROWING GAME 2 Sheets-Sh eet 2 Filed Jan. 2, 1952 ATTORNEYS United States Patent has WEAPON THROWING GAME James C. Ramsey, Lincoln, N. Mex. Application January 2, 1952, Serial No. 264,489 1 Claim. (Cl. 273106) This invention relates to a weapon throwing game, and weapons used therewith, and more particularly to a game of skill wherein the player endeavors to throw a gaming element or a weapon at a mark or target in such a way as to cause the weapon to stick in the target in the proper position to give the player the desired number of scoring points.

As conducive to a clearer understanding of this invention it may be pointed out that a great many persons, especially men and boys, delight in throwing at a mark with some weapon such as a hatchet or dagger which will stick in the target. Heretofore all such throwing mediums used in the sport have been of such design and shape as to require considerable practice in order to throw the weapon so that the proper part, such as the blade or point of the weapon, will strike the target in order to stick. A throwing knife or dagger has but one point which must strike the target in order to stick, and similarly a hatchet or tornahawk has but one blade area which must strike the target in order to stick. Considerable practice is required in order to stick the weapon in the exact area of the target to get a desired number of scoring points on the target.

Most people, especially children, even though they like to indulge in the sport, do not have the patience to continue practice until they can throw their weapon so it will stick with any degree of regularity, and as they see it strike improperly time after time, handle first, or with the butt end, and clank to the ground without sticking, many of them grow discouraged and give up the sport.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a throwing game with the throwing mediums used therein so designed that even a beginner, with a few very simple instructions, can throw and stick his weapon with gratifying regularity. Each throwing medium of the game is so designed that it has four striking or sticking areas or points, one of which is practically certain to strike and stick in the target if it is hit. Each sticking area or point of a throwing medium is marked or numbered with a certain scoring value, so that even if a player is not skilled enough to purposely stick the part or" the weapon having the highest scoring value, he does at least have the encouraging satisfaction of seeing his weapon stick in the target to give him a certain number of scoring points, and thus encouraged, perhaps merely from the fun of seeing the thing stick, he keeps on until he acquires the skill to control his weapon in throwing so that whichever point he desires will stick in the target when he throws.

Another object of this invention is to provide a game wherein the throwing mediums used are each of one single piece of very simple construction and can be easily and economically stamped or blanked out of proper plate metal in one single operation, and are practically indestructible, and which will lie flat together and can conveniently be packed in a small space.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a game and weapon therefor, which will provide a relatively high entertainment value, be simple and inexpensive to manufacture and utilize, and which will be sturdy and durable in construction.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter and shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary view of a tree or the like having a target mounted thereon and showing one form of weapon used in a game, in various striking or sticking positions.

Figure 2 is a side elevational View Weapon,

Figure 3 is an end or edge elevation of the device of Figure 2, as viewed from the left,

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 2; and

Figures 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are side elevational views of various types of weapons which may be utilized in the game.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and more particularly to Figure 1, there is generally indicated at T a tree or the like having a suitable target generally indicated at 10 secured thereto in any desired manner. The target may comprise any desired number of concentric rings, or conversely may be in the form of a figure of an animal or the like. In the embodiment shown there is indicated at 11, a bulls-eye, at 12 a second ring, and at 13, an outer ring.

One form of weapon adapted to be utilized in the game comprises what may be termed a throwing tomahawk as shown in Figures 2 to 4 inclusive, generally indicated at 14, which comprises a shank or handle portion 15 having at one extremity a point 16, and at the other extremity a second point 17. Extending at right angles to the points 16 and 17 on one side is a third point 18, and right angularly disposed relative to points 1.7 and 16 directly opposite point 18 is a blade portion 19.

As best shown in Figure 3, the device is stamped out of a single sheet of metal blank or the like, and the various points above referred to are sharpened to a degree which will enable them to stick in a target, any one of the points being engageable in accordance with the manner in which the weapon strikes. The points are not sharpened to a degree suflicient to cut the fingers of the user in normal use, but only sufficiently to enable them to engage in a mark at which the weapon is thrown.

Suitable. indicia as shown in Figure 2, may be stamped or otherwise placed on the various points of a weapon, indicative of a point value. For example, in Figure 2 it will be seen that the blade 1? will count four points if engaged in the target, the point 18 three points, the point 17 two points, and the point 16 one point. The various positions in which the weapon 14 may engage the target are shown in Figure 1. Obviously the value of the point stuck in the target will be multiplied by the value of the area of the target in which it strikes, the point value of the area being variable to satisfy individual requirements.

Various modifications of the may be utilized, as shown in Figures 5 to 9 inclusive. As illustrative, Figure 5 discloses a throwing weapon of star-shape, as indicated at 24), having four points 21, 22, 23 and 24. In this embodiment the several points are alike in shape but each point has a different scoring value as shown by the numerals 1-2-3-4 indicated thereon, as representative of a scoring indicia.

Figure 6 discloses a four point style war club or tomahawk as generally indicated at 25, which includes points 26 and 27 comprising a pair of points and points 28 and 29 comprising a second pair of points right angularly disposed and opposite relative to points 26 and 27.

of one form of throwing tomahawk 14 Figure 7 discloses at 30 a four point curved war club style throwing tomahawk, which includes a primary point 31 and a secondary point 32, oppositely extending relative thereto, but positioned out of alignment therewith. Points 33 and 34 are also provided at opposite ends of the device and extend at an 180 angle relative to each other, but not in alignment.

In Figure 8 there is shown a throwing dagger at 35, which includes oppositely disposed end points 36 and 37 and side points 38 and 39 at right angles to the first mentioned points and oppositely disposed.

In Figure 9 still another modification is disclosed, which may be termed a spiked war club. This includes a shank portion 40 having a point 41 at one end, and an enlarged head portion 42 including a point 43 oppositely disposed relative to point 41, and side points 44 and 45 positioned at right angles relative to points 41 and 43.

It will be seen that all of these weapons include four oppositely disposed target engaging sticking elements which elements comprise either points or in the case of the device of Figure 2, points and a blade.

In playing the game it will be understood that any sets of rules desired may be employed. However, certain preferred forms of playing may now be described.

The throwing elements of this game are preferably thrown at a target or mark placed on a tree or stump, or boards or a plank for a background, so that some one of the sticking points of the weapon will stick in the wooden background. They may also be thrown to stick in soft ground.

In playing this game, each player makes his throws from back of a line a certain distance from the target, but if the rules of that particular play allows it, he may throw from any distance back of the line he chooses in order to allow his weapon to make enough turn in the air to stick the particular point he desires in the target. But if the rules of a certain play specifices that all throwing must be done at a certain distance from the mark, then the player must of course hold a certain point of his weapon in throwing in order to make the point he chooses stick in the mark. For instance, he may throw by holding point two in order to make point four stick in the target at a certain distance. Or he may hold by point four in throwing in order to stick point two in the target at the same distance.

But if all throwing is required to be done by holding a certain point of the weapon, as for instance point one, the player throws from one distance to stick point four, and from another distance to stick point three, and from another to stick point two, and from yet another distance to stick point one, for the weapon makes a certain amount of turning in flying from the hand to the object thrown at. Therefore, the player must stand the proper distance from the target to allow the throw weapon to make the correct amount of turn in the air to sink the desired point in the mark. Not only may the amount of turn the weapon makes in flying from the hand to the mark be determined by the distance the player stands from the target, but it may also be governed to a certain extent by the force with which the weapon is thrown, or by giving the weapon a certain amount of flip or twirl as it leaves the hand.

One of the plays of this game is for each player to make a certain number of throws, the winner being the player having the highest number of points as determined by totaling the point values of the points of his weapons sticking in the target or mark.

Another play of this game is for each player to make a certain number of throws at a mark, such as an ordinary archery target face, or a target improvised from cardboard, divided into areas having certain scoring values. In this play the value of the area hit is added to the value of the weapons point making the hit, and the winner is the player having the highest score thus obtained for the number of throws made. Or, for variety, these plays may be made by making the lowest score the winning one.

In making a play it may be specified that each player uses one certain weapon of the set in making all his throws. Or it may be specified in a certain play that each player make a certain number of throws with each of the six throwing mediums of the game set.

Another variety of play in this game is a sort of mumble-the-peg, such as youngsters play with pocket'knives, throwing the elements in various ways to stick in the ground, or a tree, or a wooden floor, etc.

These elements may also be used to make a play similar to horse-shoe pitching, throwing the weapons at a wooden stake driven into the ground, the value of the throw being determined by the point nearest the stake. When a weapon comes to rest on the ground with a point on either side of the stub it is counted a ringer, and the value of the ringer is determined by the total of the point values of the two points. The winner in the game is the player having the highest number of points for the specified number of throws.

For varietys sake, it may be specified in a play that in order to count the weapon must stick with the handle end one pointing upward, or else with it sticking downward. Similarly point two must stick with point three pointing upward, or else point two must stick with point four pointing upward.

When the game is played with the mark itself having areas of various scoring values, the mark may be anything suitable, such as a rifle target, or an archery target face, or a target having some animal design on it divided into areas of various scoring values.

Thus this game of skill in throwing and sticking the throwing elements provides a great variety of interesting plays, and thus has been provided a very fascinating game of skill, each throwing element of which is readily and economically stamped in one solid piece, in one operation, from plate material, with nothing to loosen, come apart, or break. The six mediums of the game set are all perfectly flat and lie nicely together, are easy to pack and occupy but little space, and are convenient to stow away. This game, with its five throwing elements, is especially suitable for use in supervised youths camps, such as Boy Scout camps, and in schools, carnivals, etc.

It will now be seen that there is also provided a game and weapons for use therein, which accomplishes all the objects of this invention and others, including many advantages and high entertainment value,

As many other embodiments of this invention may be made it is understood that all matter hereinbefore shown and described is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

In a game of skill, a target and a weapon adapted to be thrown at said target, said weapon comprising a substantially fiat blank formed with a plurality of fixed sharpened target engaging elements extending in a plurality of directions in the plane of the blank, each of said elements extending at an angle of substantially 90 relative each adjacent element, one of said elements comprising a blade, and the remainder of said target engaging elements comprising sharpened points.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 33,270 Spaulding Sept. 10, 1861 692,608 Bristow Feb. 4, 1902 1,040,702 Lee Oct. 8, 1912 1,659,468 Miller Feb. 14, 1928 1,883,826 Schmidt Oct. 18, 1932 1,892,405 Metzger Dec. 27, 1932 2,182,320 Pearson Dec. 5, 1939 2,187,493 Gordon Jan. 16, 1940 2,490,470 Racine Dec. 6, 1949 2,549,235 Ramsey Apr. 17, 1951 

